What Would You Do With This?

As the primary contact for most sales out of our shop in Maine the most frequently asked question I hear is “What is this used for?” One such item is our demitasse cup. As a tiny vessel it has been bought for many purposes. In the hands of an owner it becomes a pill dispenser, a tooth pick holder, a sake cup, a safe place to hang earrings, a vessel for salt, pepper or condiments for individual seatings. They hold olive oil for dipping bread, melted butter for lobster, and homemade facial scrub. They are used for testing coffee roasts.

Some items, like our Dessert Cup [internal link], are less often questioned, yet, also put to multiple uses. Yes, they hold yogurt and fruit, and ice cream with any topping you like. They have also been bought to hold flower arrangements, and make-up brushes.
Then there are the ribbed soap dishes[internal link]. No one asks what is this for, so I have to tell them, ‘That is a tray for holding watercolor brushes.’ or ‘That holds business cards.’